People News November 2021

Carrie Baker, Sylvia Dlugasch Bauman Chair of American Studies and Professor of the Study of Women and Gender, spoke in November at the annual United States Supreme Court Review Conference at Western New England University School of Law.

Paul Joseph López Oro, assistant professor of Africana studies, spoke in October at Rice University’s Center for African and African American Studies on “Garifuna/Black Caribs: Maroon Geographies of Indigenous Blackness.”

Laura Rauscher, director of disability services, was a panelist for a November virtual discussion, “From Generation to Generation: The Changing Language of Disability,” hosted by New England Public Media. 

Loretta Ross, associate professor of the study of women and gender, spoke recently at Northwestern University on “Reproductive Justice as a Human Right” as part of a quarterly series focusing on Black feminist theory and practice in reproductive justice.

“Sky Gazing,” a book by Meg Thacher, senior laboratory instructor in astronomy, is a finalist for the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Hands-on Science Book Award.

Research by Steven Williams, Gates Professor of Biological Sciences, on “Development of a novel real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for the sensitive detection of Schistosoma japonicum in human stool” was published in October in Global Public Health.

Michel Ruiz Fuentes ’24 published “The INSPIRE U2 Program: Student Reflections on Data Science and Training” in October in R-bloggers.  

Symone Gosby ’15 was a panelist for “Why Are We Not Equal? New Disruptors: Gender and Equality,” sponsored in October by the Asia Society Korea Youth program. Gosby, who is coordinator of generation equality engagement at the United Nations Foundation, majored in East Asian studies at Smith.

Dayna Snell M.S.W. ’06 was the guest speaker in October for “Plainville Unites: A Celebration and Conversation About Diversity and Inclusion Here at Home.” Snell, who is founder and director of the Queen Ann Nzinga Center in New Britain, Connecticut, is a program supervisor for the Connecticut Department of Children and Families.

Demaris Mills ’03 has been appointed president of Integrated DNA Technologies. Mills—who earned her Smith degree in economics and French studies, and an M.B.A. from Harvard University—most recently served as president of Phenomenex.

Allison Share ’98 has been appointed director of Congressional affairs for the National Endowment for the Humanities. A former senior policy adviser and counsel for U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee of Michigan, Share earned a degree in history from Smith and a law degree from Vermont Law School.

Lisa Gardiner ’95 was a panelist in October for “Creative Ways to Communicate about Climate Change,” sponsored by the Boulder Public Library. Gardiner, an author and educator, majored in geology at Smith and earned a doctorate in geological sciences from Georgia University.

Juliana Smoot ’89 has been named chief development officer for the city of Detroit. A former chief fundraiser for President Barack Obama, Smoot is co-founder of Blue Lake Strategies public affairs consulting firm. She earned her Smith degree in government. 

Dr. June Almenoff ’78 was named to the board of directors of Tenax pharmaceutical company. Almenoff, who is currently chief scientific officer for RedHill Biopharma, majored in biochemistry at Smith and earned Ph.D. and M.D. degrees from Mt. Sinai Medical School.

The Rise program, co-founded by Wendy Schmidt ’77, announced its first cohort of 100 Rise Global winners. The program awards higher education scholarships, career development funds and project grants to teens around the world. Schmidt, who is president of the Schmidt Family Foundation, majored in sociology at Smith and earned a master’s degree in journalism from the University of California Berkeley.

Attorney and author Cheryl Brown Wattley ’75 is the recipient of a Legacy Award from the Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House and Museum Steering Committee for her contributions to the understanding and promotion of civil rights. Wattley, who earned a degree in sociology at Smith and a law degree from Boston University, is director of experiential education for University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law.

Becky Gillan ’73 is the recipient of the Mary Award, the League of Women Voters of Greenwich Connecticut’s highest honor, for her work on voting rights research and with community organizations. Gillan—who earned a degree in economics from Smith and an M.B.A. from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth—worked as senior vice president for research for AARP and is currently a marketing and research consultant for the Diamond Producers Association.

Patricia Klingenstein ’51 was named a Living Landmark by the New York Landmarks Conservancy for her work as a “devoted community leader, volunteer, education advocate, fundraiser and philanthropist.” Klingenstein majored in English language and literature at Smith.